April 4, 2025
Locked On Women’s Basketball: Final Four preview
By The Next
Baker: 'We can't ignore what Paige Bueckers has been doing'
On the latest episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, host Natalie Heavren sits down with The Next’s BIG EAST beat writer Tee Baker to discuss everything at stake in the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four round. They discussed how the four teams — South Carolina, Texas, UCLA, and UConn — punched their tickets to the finals, and they make some predictions about who might prevail.
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Heavren opens the show by asking Baker how South Carolina and Texas were able to make it this far. “They made it to the Final Four relying on their culture in a lot of ways,” Baker says. “Defensive intensity is a standard at both of those programs, so I think that’s part of it. And elite talent, right?”
Later on, Heavren asks the same question to Baker, but this time, about UCLA and UConn. “UConn’s path to the Final Four was relatively smooth,” Baker says. “We can’t ignore what Paige Bueckers has been doing.
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“I think for UCLA, this was a significant win for them,” Baker continues, referencing UCLA’s Elite Eight victory over LSU. “The narrative around [head coach] Cori Close and her program is that they’re always right there, but they can’t get there. So I’m thrilled that they broke through, just as a program.”
Heavren closes out the show by asking Baker if they have any final thoughts on the Final Four. “There are so many different storylines to the games,” Baker says. “There are so many stories to tell.”
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Here at The Next, in addition to the 24/7/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.
